by admin | Mar 21, 2014 | Brand strategy
Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT ) acquiring another toy business might sound about as exciting as clean-up time. But shelling out $460 million in cash for Canada’s MEGA Brands is no mismatch. By acquiring MEGA, Mattel gains a foothold in what’s proven thus far to be an elusive construction-play market for the toy giant. At the heart of Mattel’s acquisition is its entry into the toy construction segment dominated by No. 1 Lego, whose sales in 2013 jumped 10% to $4.6 billion, and No. 2 MEGA Brands, with annual sales eclipsing $400 million. Mattel has primarily been watching from the sidelines, with not even a 1% share. And while tablets and game consoles may have changed the rules, kids still play with traditional toys. Read more about whether Mattel has contradicted their brand strategy...
by admin | Mar 18, 2014 | Brand strategy
Just because you’re doing good work as a social entrepreneur doesn’t mean you get to skip on the more commercial parts of running a business. Your good story isn’t enough to grab customers and create more impact, you need to build a good brand. Every other month, brand innovation firm BBMG hosts Five x 5, a social innovation workshop designed to help five startups with their most pressing brand-related challenges. Five teams of planners, strategists, creatives, and entrepreneurs donate their time and expertise to delve into each challenge and then share insights and concepts before the networking continues. Read more about these five branding tips...
by admin | Mar 17, 2014 | Brand strategy
Creating a company image involves a lot of different moving parts, from design and copy to marketing and branding. These components work together to present the buying public with the most complete vision possible of your company’s mission and products. The world’s most recognizable companies have one thing in common: Their brand strategy always comes first. Apple, Google, Nike, and LEGO built empires on public perception. Take Apple’s identity away—that of a company providing products for creative people—and it’s simply any other computer company. Building a brand is so much more than the sum of its parts. When creating graphics, content, marketing campaigns, and web design, you may feel you need to choose any one of these over your brand strategy, even if for a short period of time. Before you set aside your branding standards to concentrate on any other part of your company, remember this: brand strategy always comes first. Read more about the importance of your brand strategy...
by admin | Mar 14, 2014 | Brand strategy
When you’re building your personal brand, you want to make sure you’re visible to the people who are making decisions about you. When building your brand on the Web, that means showing up on page 1 of search results for a Google search. Why? Because if you’re not on page 1, you’re nearly invisible. A Gravitate Online study found that 94% of Google users click on a first-page result, and fewer than 6% click on a page 2 result. So showing up on page 1 is essential if you want to get noticed. So how do you make that happen? Video. Read more about why you should add video to your personal branding strategy...
by admin | Mar 12, 2014 | Brand strategy
Branding is more than just a smart logo with a catchy slogan. It’s personality, your customer base, and the quality of your products and services. With the boom in successful small businesses, and the rise in indie craft shops, setting your brand apart from everyone else’s can be a bit of a challenge. Be unique but not obnoxious. Be visible but not overpowering. Be intense but not overbearing. There are so many points to touch on for branding your business that it’s easy to lose sight of your goals. Katy Svehaug, Etsy’s content coordinator, recently published an article on Etsy’s blog about strategic branding. Read more about these branding strategy tips in this...
by admin | Mar 10, 2014 | Brand strategy
The ground rules for branding are rapidly evolving. Social media, content marketing, the younger generation, second screening, thought-leadership and the demographic shift are just some of the many things that are challenging brands to think differently. Creating and sustaining customer trust and loyalty is more difficult than ever before. Building relationships with consumers has never been more challenging, with so much competition for their attention. Look at the constant barrage of pop-up and video ads that flash before our eyes every time we use our phones, turn on our computers or tablets. Read more...
